Why Companies Change ITSM Tool

News and reports of companies trading their old ITSM tools with a newbie in the market are becoming more common with every passing year. While some companies prefer sticking to a tool for at least 6 or 7 years, others are not so patient and start looking for a replacement every 3 or 4 years. According to a recent survey conducted on ITSM.tools, respondents cited one or more of the below reasons to switch to a new ITSM tool:

The old tool was not effective.

The new tool was more convincing.

The existing tool was well past its service life.

A strategy change

A higher-ranking official was in favor of the transition.

High maintenance costs

The company adopted a new ITSM process, making the transition inevitable.

Inadequate vendor support

Tool upgradation was not an option due to the high costs(in terms of money and man-hours) involved.

Are these the only reasons behind businesses taking the leap? Definitely not! We delved into the way organizations operate and found few more reasons why businesses stop showing love to their old ITSM tool and start looking for a replacement. Keep reading to learn more.

1. Changing business situation: A change in the business situation can force the management to look for alternatives. There are various scenarios that can impact a business’s situation. For example, when a business merges with another organization, its internal environment changes drastically. If both the parent company and the smaller business are using an ITSM tool, the restructured board will have three options

Keep on using the tools the parent company was using.

Let both the businesses keep on using their respective tools.

Look for a third option.

So which of the three options do you think the employees of the parent company will rally behind? Obviously, the first one. The other two options will be just not acceptable to them as they will have to start afresh learning and unlearn things. And we all know that the chances of their voice being heard is more. If the management decides to use the parent company’s ITSM tool, the employees of the smaller of the two businesses will have no other option than to adapt according to the changes.

2. Judgemental error: 18 percent of the participants in the survey conducted on ITSM.tools cited their tool’s inefficiency as the reason that forced them to look for an alternative. While this is a justifiable reason, in many cases, the manager’s bias against the tool and their pre-conceived notions, and not hard facts are the roots causes of their dissatisfaction. The misunderstanding about the tool’s capabilities can arise due to one or both of the following reasons:

Inadequate training and lack of skills: Improper training can leave employees confused. When they are unable to get answers to their questions, they arrive at the conclusion that the tool is difficult to use. Lack of proper training can leave team members confused and they may find it difficult to understand the tool’s functionalities. To address this problem, businesses must hire tool specialists who will come up with a training plan to educate employees.

Poor implementation: Poor implementation can create an environment of chaos leaving the end users confused and disoriented. To address this problem, businesses must plan implementation well in advance. Teams must not rush into decisions and should take their own sweet time to understand the tool’s functionalities. To avoid data or any other losses, you must have a recovery plan in place. The implementation team must focus on identifying and fixing issues on a real-time basis.

3. Misalignment of business needs with the tool: It is common for expanding businesses to outgrow their ITSM tool. When this happens the business must look for a tool that aligns with their evolving needs. When selecting a tool, managers must consider the business’s current needs while keeping in mind the future trends. Businesses that have downsized recently and are on a cost-cutting spree may no longer feel the need for an advanced ITSM. Such businesses need to consider cheaper alternatives.

Changing your ITSM tool is a major business decision. Implementation can take months impacting productivity and employee morale. Do not rush into making decisions. To arrive at informed and rational decisions, define your ITSM scope and objectives. Analyze whether your current ITSM tool aligns with these goals. When choosing a new tool, determine your budget and never exceed it. Identify people in your organization who can spearhead a team to select the best ITSM tool according to your business needs. To ensure seamless implementation, rope in tool experts. Together, with these experts, conduct training sessions and meetings to create awareness. When implementing your new ITSM tool, adopt a transparent policy and keep all your stakeholders in the loop.